SANTA CLARA – Despite having problems earlier in the game, rookie running back Jeff Wilson Jr. heard his number called at the most critical time on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
“They could’ve done a million things,” Wilson said of the 49ers’ coaching staff. “They could’ve put someone else back there. They don’t know what they did to my life by sticking with me and putting me back in that game and letting me finish.
“I didn’t want to end like that. That would’ve been a tough apple for me to bite. Going back out there just rejuvenated me.”
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Wilson fumbled for the third consecutive game on Sunday against Seattle, but he played a key role in overtime as the 49ers snapped a 10-game head-to-head losing streak against the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium.
Running back Matt Breida carried on the first three plays of overtime but left the game with an aggravation of an ankle injury. That’s when the 49ers called upon Wilson at a time when they could not afford a turnover.
“That meant the world to me.” Wilson said. “Obviously, everyone knows what happened prior to that to me earlier in the game. For them to show they still have that faith in me, they still trusted me. Not only the coaches, but my teammates. That was like the greatest thing that could have happened.”
Wilson took a handoff from the Seattle 41 and blasted off right tackle for 16 yards to place the 49ers in field-goal range. He carried for gains of 3 and 4 yards before Robbie Gould was sent out to kick the game-winning field goal on third down.
San Francisco 49ers
He finished with 46 yards rushing on seven attempts. In four games, Wilson has gained 230 yards on 52 carries while also catching 10 passes for 87 yards. However, Wilson has fumbled three times, losing two of them.
Wilson said his teammates and running backs coach Bobby Turner kept his spirits up on the sideline after the fumble and a dropped pass.
“Coach Turner was all positive,” Wilson said. “He’ll get on me later in the week, but he was keeping me up and keeping me positive, being the coach he’s supposed to be.”
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Wilson is a hard-charging running back who went undrafted after rushing for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at North Texas. Wilson was plagued by fumbles in college, too.
It is a troubling area of his game that he promises he will solve. On Sunday, he tore off a 14-yard run in the first quarter before Seattle safety Bradley McDougald jarred the ball loose for the turnover.
“Just hold it tighter,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, just put it closer to me. He just made a good hit on the ball when I tucked it in. It was lower on my stomach. I have to keep it on my breast plate. That’s something coach Turner is always coaching and always pounding on me. It should be a no-brainer, but we’ll get it fixed, for sure.”